Content and creation

[Helloworld]

A plotline like that would emphasis the apocalyptic theme of Arm.

I think this ^ applies in general to the entire idea of a force/antagonist/invasion originating outside the commonly travel places of the known. Stability ought really to be a very short lived phenomenon.

[9001]

A while ago there was a thread on criminal RP that had me thinking about how to help it be something that can be engaged in without escalating to PK fests. One problem was that 'small' mistakes could be ruinous to characters once people got a glimpse of their descriptions. So what about...

Master Crafted Disguises

Have there be an extended subclass with the 'disguise' skill. Perhaps this can only be paired with certain other main guilds. Getting the right balance on this kind of thing would be tricky, but I think it could add more ability to engage in certain kinds of RP on a level that doesn't escalate quite as suddenly as it currently does with the right checks and balances.

A disguise would change your short description and main description when worn. Disguises are Master Crafted to provide oversight and to put a limit on how often they can be changed. Perhaps it'd be something that can only be put in for every 2 IC years, rather than one. A disguise cannot be used by someone who didn't Master Craft it - it represents the effort in disguising behavior and mannerisms, not just appearance. A disguise shouldn't radically alter the appearance of the character, either, and should obviously be an attempt to hide the real appearance, paired with gear. It wouldn't be an attempt to appear as another person, just to avoid giving away identifying details. If your character is a hulking, muscle-bound dwarf, there should still be references to that, even if you don't the exact same words. You'd only be able to have one disguise at a time, and master crafting a new one means you can't use the old one anymore.

Along with the description and gear (or type of gear) intended to be used for the disguise, you'd submit some details about your real description that can 'leak', particularly at lower levels of disguise. This means the more you interact with someone in disguise, the more risk of them learning small details about you there is.

Example PC:
The hulking, muscle-bound dwarf
This dwarf's face and hairless head bear numerous scars from a life of violence, few seeming to have cleanly healed, showing up starkly on his pale skin. His brown eyes are wide-set and bloodshot. This dwarf is almost absurdly muscle-bound and hulking.

Example Disguise Application:
the bulky, dark-smeared dwarf
Very little of this short, extremely bulky figure isn't wrapped up in dark, grimy cloth. What little skin is showing under its hood seems to have charcoal or kohl smeared over it, or some other dark substance. A hint of brown can be seen in its squinty eyes.

Leakable details:
Badly healed scars are visible under the dark substance smeared on this dwarf's face.
The bulkiness of its figure is due to an abundance of hulking muscles.
Its eyes seem perpetually bloodshot.
Its skin is pale under the dark substance smeared over it.

More effort would be put into the descriptions, of course, but I wanted to give examples of how I was thinking this would work. Carefully used, I think a disguise could allow certain PCs to interact with people while hiding their identity. Used too liberally, people would begin to pick up on too many identifying details. Staff oversight would make sure that the disguise makes sense and has justification - details like hulking muscles being adequately covered by being called bulky with a thick cloak and cloth obscuring the reason for that bulk, or deliberately squinting hiding a detail like bloodshot eyes or perhaps their color.

Disguises should be able to be removed by other people if you're subdued or knocked out, as well, and should have a high standard of RP attached to them. If your disguise uses kohl and a dark cloak, you should have those items even if they're not codedly required when you 'put on' your disguise, and care should be taken in whether or not wearing particular armor/items/weapons makes sense in it.

I could talk more on details and checks and balances, but I'm curious what other people think of the feasibility of this in play.

[Dresan]

I used to think disguise was a good idea. At the very least that it should be tied to skills like backstab, or hide etc..

However, having seen examples in game of people just not caring whether you know its them or not, the sheer freedom it gives needs to continue to cost what it currently does to achieve.

Instead of disguises I rather see rinth, luirs and redstorm (maybe morins) become places where if someone screws up in one location they can go start a productive life somewhere else. 

I don't think disguises will prevent PKs instead i think it will make people that normally wouldn't attempt them a lot more times with less concern if they fail.

[9001]

Hm. That is a very valid concern.

[mansa]

I'd like to see the skills helpfiles reference what classes/subclasses get the skill in question.   Like a new subcategory "Requisite:" or "Requirement:"

[Dresan]

I would like to see more helpfile in the same way magick help files work. Maybe a little indicator that notifies a new help-file is now available to you.

For example if you have brew or poison these help-files or even more extensive help-files could become available to you. Maybe assessing herbs would provide more information on what help file to read.

Basically the more information the game provides in a natural way without the need of resorting to OOC chat or finding PC run by a staff member the better who may need to dig up through historical records the better.

[Dresan]

Just to add to the previous idea mentioned, with brew being so much fun I would love to see magickal crafting too.

Low power magickal potion, weapons, even armor in particular seems like the subtle low level magick i would love to see more of in this game rather than death ray throwing full mages.

This things would generate so much RP from the people who sell it, to the people who want to use it, to the people who want to find the criminals who use it. After all you are probably not going to be able to keep this stuff in a clan locker without getting in trouble. Just using this stuff should label you a mage.

A useful money sink that has risk and RP involved for everyone. It is what I wish spice could be in the game but unfortunately isn't.

[Evilone]

Here are some ideas I have. Certain parts of the game I am a little out of touch, and such ideas may already be incorporated anyway, which is great. I didn't read through all the thread so I might be doubling up on ideas as well.

House Oash
----------
Their primary source of income comes from Ocotillo wines. Let's get Oashi nobles and servants focused on this actual task, instead of Ocotillo wine and spirits just arriving out of thin air via virtual NPCS. The Oash Shop of Fine Wines could become a PC supplied shop. If the Oash nobility become lazy and ignore keeping up stock, then I'm sure the other nobility would become quite upset, and their virtual income could be severely reduced. Have much of their income non virtual and relied on by shop sales. This would allow for the the Oashi Elite clan to be open once more. Oashi nobles would require a retinue of Oashi Elite as protection, as well as needing T'zai Byn escorts. Create a vineyard sector under forage, keeping the lower end wine leaves easily able to find, and having the higher end leaves very rare like emeralds or diamonds. After you have the materials, use the same code to brew other alcohols and drinks with a still. Make the whole process PC if possible.

House Tor
---------
House Tor is now a small, semi-professional army, the Tor Legion, or just keep calling them the Tor Scorpions. You need to introduce an enemy, old or new, that actually challenges the Southlands region. Establish front lines, a border, assign them a small fort to live in, and the Tor Legion is the shield against this enemy. They are only small in number, so obviously there will be holes the enemy can slip through and attack closer to Allanak. There's ten total villages I believe, 7 virtual. Make a few more of them less virtual, and more villages can be raided, defended, and so on, so the soldiers don't feel like they are just protecting sand. Mantis, Kryl, or the Gith are great enemies and can amass in large numbers, and when you kill them there's no worry about players being able to amass large amounts of loot. If you want to play a full blooded soldier, this is the role for you. There's many ways an enemy can surface and why there's a need to fight with such an enemy. E.g Silt Mongrels. A race of humanoids that have crossed the vast silt sea from beyond and have crashed a large ship on the edge of the Known, and are warlike and wanting to settle in the Southlands and plunder it's resources.

Scripts can be used to have these hostile forces raid the Southlands, so player patrols can randomly come across them, and won't need staff to animate and harass them. One Tor PC would act as Warlord or Warlady in command of the PC unit, with a Lord Marshal NPC as overall commander, and another PC would play political and run the Academy in Allanak. All Tor family would be an officer in the Tor Legion, and they may rotate between positions.

A new degree could be announced by the Templarate that any criminals in Allanak that may face death in the pit or the arena that is not charged with treason or magick, may chose to join the Tor Legion instead as a slave soldier. They get a slave mark and assigned a unit. Borsail may get to broker the deal. If they chose to desert, they become outlaws. They don't get force stored, call in the Borsail Wyverns, or even backdoor shady contacts such as the Guild to hunt these people down and see them executed.

House Tor would not get crimeflag immune. The Arm of the Dragon still keeps it's position as the city watch, and the Templars still enforce the law. War ministry templars probably have a rank in the Tor army, but otherwise the region of the Fort and Tor's front line is under Tor's command. The Tor Legion duties should not interfere with work that the Byn does. Guard missions, escorts, big hunts, spider nest clearings, whatever they are doing, the Tor Scorpions shouldn't be disrupting Byn business and profit. While there might be some comradery in the Byn, they are still scummy mercenaries, and it's nothing like the RP of being totally devoted to one's mission, and the sense of duty a soldier feels, and serving and dying with honour as a soldier, or managing to survive and live to become an old hero.

House Borsail
-------------
I'm not very familiar how the gladiators were handled. I really enjoyed interacting with the gladiators however, and the days I could get to the arena events, I liked. If we can't get PC gladiators back, let's at least get back to bi-weekly arena fights. How? Borsail should be managing the arena. Bring back the Wyvern clan. The Wyverns could operate as semi gladiator/guards/beast-wranglers. 3-5 PC's, can go out hunting down animals with the caged wagon and capture them, and then fight them for the crowd. Any escaped slaves from the Tor legion could be thrown into the arena as well. Borsail nobles might want to mix things up and could hire the Byn to fight, or other clans may wish to show off their prowess in attempt to bolster recruitment by showing how dominant they are. Also, maybe each Borsail junior noble PC is able to auction one NPC slave every two years, and more distinguished get to do one every year, etc.

House Fale
----------
Clan specific crafts for streamers, and party like decorations. So if you are hosting an event, you would definately want a Fale to spice it up in a unique way other PC's can't. I know it's been tried by PC's in the past, but I would develop a documented Fale Bard clan within House Fale. There's so much that can be taken from the Bards of the Poets circle and the way Winrothol were dedicated to the Arts. Towards the end of Tuluk I had some amazing PC's in Winrothol such as Tallis and Flaire who did some great performances, and I'd love to see such things in Allanak mid-high class life.

The Labyrinth and the Guild
---------------------------
Move the Screaming Mantis to a more central location so it is more accessible to outsiders, at the end of the entrance path. Think of the Screaming Mantis as the Continental from John Wick now, run by the Guild. No killing is allowed, or stealing in the tavern, without facing major consequences. Add secure apartments above with no windows, and the only roof access allowed by NPC guards is by having a clan membership. Food and alcohol will be supplied entirely by PC's. The NPC bartender will only sell what the PC's stock it with. Rat kabobs, roasted sewer worms, all sorts of scum food, unless there's a good PC cook to arrange better foods. Add a makeshift still, and some ingredient only found in the rinth that can make moonshine, perhaps this moonshine also has a special aphrodisiac effect similar to zharal, but with actual coded messages to enhance the experience. It could cause a demand and a reason for people to want to sneak to the Screaming Mantis besides spice and shady dealings. I would also add a fighting pit for fighting and betting, and add a pleasure den. Remember in the Sanctuary in Tuluk where NPC's would be scripted at certain times to come out and dance? This could be done to the Mantis. Maybe pay a small fee and a dancer will strip for you. If I had any sort of low class character I'd be here all the time hanging out.

Is Spice too expensive? Do people feel the benefits outweigh the risk and the cost? War spice seems powerful enough, but I think the other spices could do with a bit of a buff. If a spice added 1 or 2 endurance, is that really worth while x amount of coins? 4 points on the other hand. Wow. Should the duration be a bit longer even? I just don't know if people value spice enough to cause the demand for the Guild the way it is currently.

I'm trying to come up with activities to keep the guild fun and interesting, without just killing Amos or stealing everything from his apartment cause he's bored. So the Guild now has the Screaming Mantis as part of their responsibility to manage, another thing would be a pawn shop, run by a Fence PC. Maybe a backroom for clanned members allows access to a Akir Sajir fence, selling their clan gear and specialised black market goods. Gives value to membership and working your way up the chain.

I know when I ran the Lia-Kavair Thieves Guild on Harshlands there was a recruit safehouse, a senior member safehouse, a sewer safehouse, a village safehouse just outside of the city, and others in distance unplayable cities just incase we travelled. We had threats in the sewers to deal with, sewer blobs that were very nasty and killed many, but we could extract poison from, so it was worth us being down there hunting them, not just killing them randomly to skill boost. We also faced undead down there all the time and it was fun killing them, and we were actually helping protect the city from a far greater evil that people had no idea about on the surface. Open up a few more accessible sewer entrances outside the rinth, if common people wish to go down there, that's there risk. Be great to see some sorcerer or powerful nilazi NPC set up in the sewers. It could certainly demand action from the Guild as it is interrupting the smuggle of spice into Allanak.

Clan Population
---------------
Most noble houses have a max of 2 PCs. Currently there is Borsail, and Oash open, and I thought it was Jal, but on the webpage is says Fale, and Jal is closed. Add 3 Templars, that is only 9 noble PCs. We had about 200 unique logins. I get the impression people seem to think we are top heavy, but I think it's quite the opposite. These players are the movers and shakers, and I feel to help keep them going, they need more people in their caste to interact with, as allies or enemies. Same goes for the merchant family. They are the backbone of the middle class, and the more GMH who can attend parties and stir up business and create plots the better it is for the game. I have fond memories as Kradj Kurac sitting at gatherings with Overseer Siamaca Kadius and Crew Leader Kevak Salarr. They were similar in social standing and it was acceptable.

These are the numbers I'd go with. Or if Jal is closed, have 3 in each noble house.

2 Borsail
2 Oash
2 Tor
2 Fale
2 Jal
3 Templar
=13

3 Salarr Family
3 Kadius Family
3 Kurac Family
1 Terash Family
=10
Total=23

Rewards
-------
Better tiered rewards and opportunities for PC's with wealth and title. E.g 1st rank noble gets a 1 room bedroom. Gets promoted now has a 2 room bedroom. 3rd rank noble gets 2 aides now, a private bathroom, able to purchase a small carriage as transport around the city, etc. Same goes for merchant family members with more luxurious living quarters or offices. Independants rich enough able to lease townhouses from the Ministry Templars and so on. We just need more money sinks I feel.

That's my two cents.

[Dresan]

The only change to spice it needs are:

• It needs to last way longer. (2 IC days at least)
• Make snorting or smoking it an hemote that doesn't break hide.
• increase the prices of war-spice accordingly(100-200sid)

Additionally militia/templars should crack down on the city/clans to ensure the laws against it are being enforced. It doesn't necessarily need to be stronger, but there should definitely be a difference from the stuff gathered on the ground and the refined stuff kurac sells.

Editted to add: I think spice you can find should probably work as it does now. Spice kurac refines should work like the above with the right price tag.

[Lotion]

I definitely don't fully understand the rinth but that change to the mantis doesn't sound at all feasible. There's a very good reason why it is where it is. If you want strippers/a rintharena then there's ample opportunity to make that happen with minimal long-term staff intervention.

[Dresan]

Plot-wise I think it would be great to see the game continue to  move away from Dark Sun elements and mythos.

Don't get me wrong, this game will always been heavily influenced by dark sun. Outside of Armageddon2 we will always have the playable races, most which are unique to dark sun. However, we could still slowly do away with a lot of terminology and lore that is often only known to staff anyways.

I think it might be more interesting to see return of undead/demon(the salt flats feel a bit empty) plot lines vs anything to do with dragon/dragonthralls. It might also be nice to slowly see the rebranding of several things such as templars, sorcery and sorcerer king to continue making this game unique.   The class and function would not disappear, rather just the way they are references within the game as game plots unfold over the years.

[Pew Pew]

Evilone,

I love all of your ideas, and keep them coming. One thing is, there use to be a bar on the Road of Slaves for that purpose over a decade, maybe two, ago that was used for that exact purpose. I do agree, the Mantis should be in a more central location, but there should be some amount of risk for an outsider coming there to buy "drugs" or whatever it is, much like any shady part of town.

[Narf]

Evilone,

I love all of your ideas, and keep them coming. One thing is, there use to be a bar on the Road of Slaves for that purpose over a decade, maybe two, ago that was used for that exact purpose. I do agree, the Mantis should be in a more central location, but there should be some amount of risk for an outsider coming there to buy "drugs" or whatever it is, much like any shady part of town.

I remember that. I think that was the Rinth bar back then, the others were added later. Maybe the mantis was around, but I can't remember it.

[Pale Horse]

Strangle

Using this command, a Player Character will begin strangling another Player Character.

In order to strangle a Player Character, PC A must successfully subdue PC B.  After a successful subdue attempt, PC A must type "strangle" or "strangle PC B" to begin strangling.

While strangled, PC B will suffer a continued loss of stun points until rendered unconscious.

While strangled, PC B will suffer a penalty to all verbal communication commands, such as "say" "shout" "tell" "ask," etc.  Every attempt to verbally communicate, successful or unsuccessful, will result in an increased loss of stun points to reflect a victim's loss of breath and fighting against their attacker.

At any time, PC B may attempt to break out of the strangulation attempt by typing "flee self," as they would to break out of being subdued.  A successful attempt to break loose will result in PC B being freed of the attempted strangulation and subdued status.

Unconscious PCs may be strangled without first needing to be subdued.  Typing "strangle PC" will result in both a check to subdue the target and begin strangulation.  At which point, if the PC undergoing strangulation has a positive current stun point value, they will awaken and be able to attempt to escape.

If the PC being strangled has 0 or less current stun points, they will begin to loos HP until the PC strangling them is halted or death occurs.

A PC performing strangulation is able to cease their attempt at any time by typing "stop strangle" at any time while they have another PC subdued and being strangled.  This will halt the strangulation attempt but not release the subdued PC.  The PC who has stopped being strangled may then make use of verbal communication commands as normal.

[Kyviantre]

Strangle
...
A PC performing strangulation is able to cease their attempt at any time by typing "stop strangle" at any time

Love the idea!  Not sure I like the stopping command (I know I'll forget it!).  I'd prefer to tie it into a command we have already, somehow (disengage, release?).

In other news/requests...does Arm have the ability to tie/untie people?  We have rope (requires some type of rope).  Allow for arguments

tie amos
You tie amos up.

tie amos hands
You tie amos' wrists together.

tie amos feet/legs
You tie amos' ankles together.

Tying hands removes ability to wield/hold (ep, es, etwo, hold), perhaps including eat, drink, use, crafting, cleaning.  Tying feet removes ability to walk (walk/run).  Tying both...well, both!

Good for battening down your prey/victim, so you can pontificate at them, wander around sharpening knives, threatening their family, gesticulating wildly, etc.  So they don't run off mid-scene.  Good for RP, and fancier

Must be unconscious, asleep, or subdued prior to being tied up.  You can tie up someone you are subduing or someone else is subduing (so you can work alone!).  Need to have a type of (sturdy) rope in your inv which gets used up.

For the victim, 'flee' will trigger a struggle attempt to loosen the bindings and slip out.  Strength of the rope would be a factor (need thicker rope to hold a stronger person, so HG murderbeast requires chunky rope, pathetic prissy crafter gets by on the cheap stuff (Salarr/Kurac extra-strong rope market there!), and strength of the person.

flee
The green-eyed amos struggles with their bindings.

Not sure if I would auto-show when someone got free...gives the chance of the element of the surprise?  Watch -should- let you see that they have loose...

watch amos

The green-eyed amos struggles with their bindings.
You notice: The green-eyed amos gets his/her/their hands free.

Obviously 'untie' would be the same in reverse.  Untie undoes both, untie hands undoes hands only, untie feet undoes legs only.  And it should show when looking...

look amos
He is an amos with green eyes.
The green-eyed amos is in poor condition.
His/her/its wrists are bound together.
His/her/its legs are bound.
He/she/it is tied up.

(First carry, then strangle, now tying people up...I promise I'm not trying to host a betrayal torture party...I'm just planning for future ones )

Edit:

Forgot an important part!  Escape!

If your hands AREN'T bound...you can untie your own feet.  This is more obvious than struggling...

X unties their ankles.

If your hands ARE bound...fleeing will work.  But I'd suggest adding in a moderate timer, say, 1 IC days, before this spams up...

X's bonds start to loosen.
/
Your bonds start to loosen.

Either make the 'flee' check easier, or slowly start to tick down a timer.  Let your capture 'tie' again to re-secure.  But basically it is to stop someone tying someone up, going linkdead, and them dying of boredom/hunger.  While I, personally, rather like the idea of tying some totally worthy victim up, dragging them out into the middle of the salt, and leaving them to die, it does seem rather...unlikely.  So giving them the option of essentially gnawing through the ropes, even as a weakling who can't flee them, after a certain amount of time...may stop people stuffing people in holes rather than finishing the job.

(also might add penalty to combat for it, but, tbh, if you can't hold a weapon...plus you're effectively subdued...you're going down fast, so doesn't seem worth the hassle!).

[Dresan]

I like the idea of strangle but some of these ideas can be accomplished with brew.

Tie up... force them to drink a vial of peraine. They can still chat using the way.

Strangle? ... once subdued you can get a friend to force them to drink a vial of heramide.

The only thing with strangle is that it would basically work without the additional condition of an item+friend.

[Brytta Léofa]

+1 to strangle and tie, but you can't do them to someone you're subduing. Victim must be subdued by another person, paralyzed, or unconscious.

Requiring more than one aggressor doesn't prevent all abuse, but it helps with the Griefer-Dwarf scenario.

[Kyviantre]

+1 to strangle and tie, but you can't do them to someone you're subduing. Victim must be subdued by another person, paralyzed, or unconscious.

Requiring more than one aggressor doesn't prevent all abuse, but it helps with the Griefer-Dwarf scenario.

Can see that being a point - I didn't want to snub the lone wolves, but tbh, if someone is lone-wolfing it, the chance that they have poisons makes it unlikely (I don't do 'lone wolf', so was trying to put myself in their shoes on what would feel 'reasonable').  I am 100% down with the adjustment though...can tie a subdued person, can not tie someone you, personally, are subduing.  Raiders take prisoners, Lords hold thieves found in your estates, criminals begin hostage negotiations...etc.

I did miss one point major point though, escape!  Let me edit my post...

[Hauwke]

Tie up should need another person or unconciousness.

But strangle should 100% be doable alone, in real life you can totally strangle someone on your own.

[triste]

I asked if we could have more restraints like this IG maybe a year ago and just wanted to share some details I got from staff on this. Essentially the first given answer was "Restraints exist in game already, but are rare."

But I wanted to thank you all for bringing this all up because they definitely need to be more available to mundane players. Just like restraining people is a tactic IRL [most modern enforcers will have a clip of bullets AND a wad of zip ties] and it's one of those things that, by providing a adversarial interaction option besides kill, we'll only enhance plots / RP for all people involved.

_{and no need to joke about my icon here lol}

[Helloworld]

Tie up should need another person or unconciousness.

But strangle should 100% be doable alone, in real life you can totally strangle someone on your own.

Figured I'd pitch in. If you're at the advanced or master end of the subdue skill IRL you would also easily be able to tie someone solo with a rope if their skill is journeyman or lower.

Master > Journeyman or below
Advanced > apprentice and below

Edited to add: especially if the rope is prepared to already have a slip knot on one end

[DesertT]

For Shabago:

I did a scribble on an apartment wall last month I believe, and it started to fade within a couple of IC hours.  I was surprised.

[Shabago]

For Shabago:

I did a scribble on an apartment wall last month I believe, and it started to fade within a couple of IC hours.  I was surprised.

Will look into this one. Thanks for the heads up.

[Lizzie]

The only change to spice it needs are:

• It needs to last way longer. (2 IC days at least)
• Make snorting or smoking it an hemote that doesn't break hide.
• increase the prices of war-spice accordingly(100-200sid)

Additionally militia/templars should crack down on the city/clans to ensure the laws against it are being enforced. It doesn't necessarily need to be stronger, but there should definitely be a difference from the stuff gathered on the ground and the refined stuff kurac sells.

Editted to add: I think spice you can find should probably work as it does now. Spice kurac refines should work like the above with the right price tag.

If you're smoking spice, there's smoke coming out of one end of the tube/pipe and smoke coming out of your nose/mouth when you exhale. Where there's smoke, there's someone smoking. It should absolutely positively always break hide.

[Lizzie]

On multi-renting apartments (to Shabago):

A possible option:

If there are two people each renting one-room apartments in the same building, they could be allowed to share their apartments with each other. In this way, they could "convert" one of those apartments into workspace/storage area and use the other as a living room/sleeping area. There are some one-room apartments that might provide some interesting arrangements that way.

Each room would still have its own keyset - the ONLY thing that would change is that the two renters can share each of their combined two apartments.